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So, the government will pay out the money regardless of whether their turbines do anything. Chief of the Public Accounts Committee Margaret Hodge has described the situation as a ‘license for the private sector to print money at the expense of hard-pressed consumers’. The Energy department has reluctantly admitted they will have to ‘re-examine some of the terms’ but since the contracts were signed nearly two years ago, it’s difficult to see how taxpayers can avoid having to stump up for DECC’s failings.
The cost of living remains a particular troublesome area for the government. According to the Telegraph, energy bills have rocketed to £1,300 per year per household, thanks mostly to rising gas prices. Plus, as Isabel reported last year, the average disposable income is at its lowest since 2003. The last thing public needs is an extra burden on their bank balance. The latest deal brokered between the Lib Dems and Tories over renewable energy has already bumped up bills, but Hodge has warned the repercussions from this faux pas may also be passed down:
‘Not only is it unlikely that this new licensing system for bringing electricity from offshore wind farms onto the national grid will deliver any savings for consumers, it could well lead to higher prices’
None of this has halted the government’s quest for wind energy, which at the last poll, is something the public still favour. The report suggests the government’s target for producing 15 per cent of energy by wind is only achievable through another £8 billion of infrastructure investment. Hopefully for this next round of green investment, the government’s energy odd couple (Ed Davey and John Hayes) will ensure value for taxpayers is at the top of their agenda.
Because you read about ed miliband
Also by Sebastian Payne
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